A Higher Education: Age, Sex, and Sexual Orientation as Indicators of Positive Cannabis Use Consequences Among College Students

Background: As cannabis use in the U.S. has continued to rise among young adults, research is necessary to understand the reinforcing aspects of use. While there are several established demographic indicators of young adult cannabis use, including age, male sex, and sexual orientation, no studies have examined relations between these indicators and facets of cannabis-related positive consequences (i.e., social, mood, cognitive, and sexual enhancement). Objectives: The present study examined associations between age, sex, and sexual orientation with facets of cannabis-related positive consequences. College students (N = 615; age M = 19.98, SD = 1.97; 68.3% female; 27.5% sexual minority) completed self-report questionnaires of demographics, cannabis use frequency, and positive and negative consequences of use. Using exploratory path analysis, we examined associations between common indicators of cannabis use (i.e., age, sex, sexual orientation) and positive consequence facets (i.e., social, mood, cognitive, and sexual enhancement), controlling for cannabis use frequency and negative consequences. We tested models for frequency (i.e., how often) and valence (i.e., how strongly) of positive consequences. Results: Sexual minority orientation was significantly positively associated with several facets of positive consequence frequency and valence, while age was significantly negatively associated with social enhancement consequences. Sex was not associated with positive consequences. Exploratory sensitivity analyses noted similar associations between bisexual/pansexual identity and positive consequence frequency and valence. Conclusions/Importance: The observed associations may help explain use disparities between sexual minorities and their heterosexual peers. Future research is needed to elucidate the role of positive consequences in cannabis use initiation and escalation, which may inform individual tailoring of cannabis prevention and intervention efforts.